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OAR News

Apply Now for an OAR Scholarship

OAR is currently accepting applications for the 2021 OAR Scholarship Program.  Applicants can apply to either the Schwallie Family Scholarship or the Lisa Higgins Hussman Scholarship until Monday, May 3, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Each offers $3,000 scholarships to students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (DSM-IV/5 criteria) pursuing full-time, post-secondary, undergraduate education in the United…

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Apply for an Autism Education Grant

OAR has expanded its commitment to peer education by awarding grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 to support projects that promote autism awareness and acceptance. When non-autistic children understand autism, they develop better relationships with their autistic peers. OAR has helped educate more than 135,000 children through the Kit for Kids Peer Education Program since…

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ONEHOPE Wine Contributes $25,000 to OAR

OAR is excited to announce that ONEHOPE Wine has contributed $25,000 to OAR. The generous donation will fund three ONEHOPE awards of $5,000 each and Platinum level sponsorship of the 2021 Active for Autism 5K & Kids Dash, the first at that level in the three-year history of the event. OAR introduced the ONEHOPE awards in…

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La’Mical Perine Signs on as Celebrity Ambassador

New York Jets running back La’Mical Perine announced his role as OAR’s new celebrity ambassador on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” show on February 26. “My little brother has [autism], something we’ve been dealing with since he was a baby…I wanted to…be able to make sure people know that it’s a serious thing,” he…

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OAR’s April Health Webinar Series

In celebration of April’s National Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, OAR is offering a three-part health webinar series. The series will highlight research and resources that address critical issues related to health and health care access, mental health, and suicide prevention. All three webinars are free and include a Q&A session. Those who attend the…

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Improving Autism Services Access for Navajo Families

In November, OAR’s Board of Directors authorized funding for six new applied autism research studies in 2021. These new grants, totaling $240,000, bring OAR’s total research funding to more than $4.4 million since 2002. This study is supported by a gift from the Lisa Higgins Hussman Foundation. This is the fourth of six previews to…

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Teaching the “Kit for Kids” Virtually in 8 Easy Steps

In 2020, daily living as we knew it, such as work, school, and volunteer activities, either came to a standstill or changed substantially. Gradually, we have adapted, mostly by making use of virtual platforms and tools. A survey done by the Atlanta Federal Reserve and the University of Chicago found that the number of people…

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Helping Your Autistic Teen Build Healthy Relationships

In middle school and high school, adolescents are asked to navigate increasingly complex social waters.  Learning how to adapt to these new conditions and build strong, healthy relationships can be an overwhelming task for autistic teens, but it is an important part of ensuring good mental health. Bullying is defined as “unwanted, aggressive behavior among…

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Autism and My Story

I was diagnosed with autism at age 15, shortly after, I enrolled in an honors college program full-time. From a young age, I felt as if I was missing something. I wasn’t like many of my peers. I analyzed ideas differently. It was as if I was created with a different processing unit. Similarly, my…

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